7 common myths about disaster preparedness

When it comes to disaster preparedness there are many myths that might sound good but prove to be bad advice if you find yourself in the middle of a disaster situation. Here is a list of the top 7 disaster preparedness that you need to know about.

MYTH #1:“All I need is a few days worth of food and water, first aid kit, radio and a flashlight.”

TRUTH: These are the most basic items found in bug out bags. The problem is that 72 hours, or three days might not be enough time to wait out an emergency. Not to mention the fact that the basic items that you put into your 72 hour kit might not be enough to handle the emergency.

Instead of storing only three days worth of food and supplies, try to store enough stuff to last two weeks minimum. One month’s worth of food and supplies would be ideal sense recovering from a major disaster such as a hurricane or earthquake can easily take that long to get reestablished.

MYTH #2:“If an emergency happens, all I have to do is dial 911.”

TRUTH: Wrong! During an emergency it is safe to say that most emergency responders will be too overwhelmed to respond to 911 calls. During this time 911 and other emergency services simply will not be available. In all likelihood you will be left to fend for yourself until the disaster is over.

MYTH #3:“Getting prepared for such an emergency is expensive and complicated.”

TRUTH: The truth of the matter is that disaster preparedness is simple and not really that expensive. Most of the items that you will need can be bought the camping section at most superstores. The food can be bought at the supermarket, just buy some canned goods and dry foods such as pasta, rice, beans and grains.

Easy to Transport Bucket of Emergency Food Rations.

MYTH #4:“Natural disasters like that could ever happen to me.”

TRUTH: Even though they may be uncommon in the area that you live, natural disasters can happen anyplace on the planet. It could be a hurricane, tornado, wildfire, earthquake, flood, or even a meteor impact. It’s also possible to be struck with a man-made disaster such as war, economic collapse, hyperinflation, or riots.

To say “nothing bad can’t happen to me” is a naïve way of thinking that can hurt you badly if you are not ready. Imagine having to flee from an unexpected situation without having time to grab anything. At least with a 72 hour kit you will have a few items that will help sustain you in a convenient, easy to carry bag.

MYTH #5:“If something bad does happen, I can always rely on FEMA, the National Guards, or some non-profit organization.”

TRUTH: FEMA has a really bad record when it comes to helping devastated areas. They are generally slow to respond, are not well prepared, and simply are not very efficient at what they are supposed to do.

Nonprofit organizations are better at helping people, but they generally arrive days or maybe even weeks after the event has occurred. The time between the emergency scenario and the time that they arrive will be at least a day or two. During this time, having some food and water stored will prove to be invaluable.

MYTH #6:“People will make fun of me calling me one of those “crazy survivalists”.”

TRUTH: There is nothing crazy about getting ready for an emergency. Do you own a car or house? Are you crazy for getting insurance on them? Of course not, it is a good idea to have these things insured not because you are scared that something bad will happen, but to protect you incase something bad does happen.

You can hide your bug out bag in the closet and nobody will know. If they see it, just tell them that you like to go backpacking sometimes. Hiding extra food and water in any big quantities can be a challenge when trying to hide it. Just store it in a room or closet that you never use. Don’t worry if someone sees it, in all likelihood they won’t care even if they do notice.

MYTH #7:“There is no real information on how to get ready for emergency situations.”

TRUTH: There is plenty of information available both on the internet and in books. Buying a few books on subjects such as basic first aid, surviving disaster situations and living off of the land could prove to be invaluable if the electricity goes down, or you lose access to the internet.